Pop-Culturalist.com

In Silent Notes, director Toni Comas joins forces with stars Daniel Durant and Matt Riker to create an unforgettable cinematic experience. Together, this talented team brings a rare blend of authenticity and emotional depth to the screen, weaving a story that explores resilience, human connection, and the transformative power of love in the face of life’s greatest challenges.

Bruce (Durant), the film’s protagonist, is rapidly losing his hearing, but the surgery he needs to restore it is far beyond his financial reach. Racing against time, Bruce becomes desperate and turns to whatever means necessary to raise the $120,000 required. Working for the mob provides quick cash—and plenty of danger—but it’s falling in love with Ethan (Riker), a gangster, that becomes his biggest risk.

Pop Culturalist spoke with director Toni Comas and stars Daniel Durant and Matt Riker about their powerful work in Silent Notes. They shared insights into the creative process, the unique challenges of independent filmmaking, and the profound themes that make this story of survival and love one that lingers long after the credits roll.

PC: Daniel, it’s the highest compliment when the co-writer and director learn more about the character through your performance. How did you read between the lines to find the emotional core of who Bruce is? As an actor, how did you create the space to reach those vulnerable places for this role, while also conveying his strength? You did both so masterfully.
Daniel: First of all, thank you so much. I appreciate the question. When we started filming, I already had a great relationship with Toni. Unfortunately, time constraints didn’t allow us to meet with others involved, so I only met with Toni. Through our conversations, I gained an understanding of who Bruce was, the emotional journey he was on, and those pivotal moments we needed to hit. The elements in between could be adjusted to match the intended tone. That’s where I started. From there, I discovered more interesting aspects of Bruce’s character through the various circumstances he faced, uncovering everything that shaped him.

PC: Matt, with Ethan, we have this character who’s so outward, quirky, and expressive, often engaging in these external monologues with himself. But you do such a brilliant job grounding him and his emotions. How did you find the balance between how far to push this character and where he sits within you?
Matt: It’s about discovery. It was easy to take a leap because I had discussed this with Toni, and much of it was further improvised once we were on set. It’s about taking that leap and trusting the character you’ve developed beforehand—which I spent time doing—and also having the confidence that your director will guide you along the way.

PC: Toni, without giving any spoilers, the way you immerse audiences in Bruce’s world is incredibly powerful and impactful. At what point in the process did you realize you wanted to use that technique to draw viewers in?
Toni: I’ve always been a fan of sound design. In a previous interview, I mentioned that even before I realized my passion for sound design, my favorite films were The Conversation by [Francis Ford] Coppola and Lost Highway by David Lynch. I re-watched those films and realized that sound design deeply moves me, so I wanted to create a movie where I could leverage it to tell this story.

With a deaf character, there’s an opportunity to explore what he hears and what he doesn’t. Then, when Daniel and Matt joined, they completed the film for me in such a wonderful way. That initial motivation to play with sound design was essential for me.

PC: I’ve never seen it done in cinema in this way. Daniel and Matt, the yearning for connection between your two characters is so authentic on screen. It’s such a universal emotion that audiences are bound to relate to. You do such an incredible job capturing the nuances and contrast in that dynamic. How did you two build that bond and make those discoveries during the filming process and have it translate so vividly onscreen?
Daniel: As we talked about these characters, the first thing we discussed was how there isn’t an immediate connection. It doesn’t happen until much later, in a specific moment that feels natural for them to connect. At the same time, we both had to empathize with the characters, understanding the lives they’re living, the struggles they’ve faced, and how they would eventually connect.

Honestly, working with Matt was a pleasure. He’s one of the best actors and improvisers I’ve worked with, always giving me something interesting to respond to. Every time I interacted with his work, I thought, “Whoa, this is great.” It was exciting to see the character grow in response to what Matt brought to the table.

Matt: Thank you, Daniel. Beyond the character development, there has to be a sense of ease and trust between us. Meeting Daniel was a relief—he’s kind, welcoming, and supportive. When we got into the scenes, it was challenging, especially for me with the lack of sound cues, but in a really rewarding way. We trusted that we’d put in the work ahead of time and had a good vibe with each other, which made it easier to discover and create those moments. Daniel was incredibly giving as an actor, which is what you hope for. That generosity really helped us find those moments during filming.

PC: It’s two incredible performances. Toni, you faced a lot of adversity throughout the filming process—one of the quirks of making an independent film. What did you manage to capture that even exceeded your own expectations and that you’re most excited for audiences to see?
Toni: When we did the second reshoot, we couldn’t pull together a budget, so I called in some close friends to help out on set, even though many of them had never been on one before. I trained them the day before and asked them to look like they knew what they were doing. I always joke that our boom operator was a psychologist who had never held a boom mic before! Ironically, the scenes we filmed with that improvised crew are the ones people love the most. I might just consider hiring a crew of first-timers again next time! [laughs]

PC: Daniel and Matthew, there’s so much passion and collaboration in independent filmmaking. How does that environment push you creatively? What did you learn about your own craft working on this project?
Daniel: Gosh, that’s a great question. Honestly, there were so many fantastic experiences from this shoot. Toni, how long did we shoot? Was it over a month? I can’t quite remember.

Toni: The first shoot was twenty-five days. The second time, we had six days, and then an extra day with Matt later on. So, 31 days in total.

Daniel: Wow. It went by so quickly, and I just fell in love with everyone. They were all so creative and collaborative. It was a truly wonderful experience, and I really enjoyed acting on this project. Everyone did such a great job.

Matt: I’ve never worked with anyone like Daniel. As I mentioned earlier, it was such a treat, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Aside from being a nice guy, as an actor, Daniel challenged me in ways I hadn’t experienced before. The focus was really on the nuances, because Daniel gives you so much to work with. If I’m not mistaken, I believe he mentioned he’s not a lip reader, so I really had to, in character, feed off what he was giving me—whether it was subtle or larger. Not having sound cues made it different; I had to rely on different senses. It was amazing, just talking, playing around, and exploring. That was an experience I’ll always value, and I hope to have again. It was my biggest takeaway from the project. [laughs]

PC: This is one of those films that stays with audiences long after they see it. For each of you, is there a particular theme that resonated with you?
Daniel: I have so many feelings about this. I hope audiences see that we’re all human, regardless of who we are, how we show up, or what we’ve been through.

Matt: I appreciate honest moments in life. Even if I can’t immediately connect with something or a character, I know there’s authenticity to be found. I love exploring characters who just want to exist and be themselves, finding those moments of stillness. There’s a challenge in grappling with that, but those moments of stillness in a character are something I really value.

Toni: For me, I was very lucky that when I was young, my mom told me that we are all equal. I really appreciate what Daniel just said, because that’s what I want to convey. We’re all human, even though some people struggle with accepting that. We all have the opportunity to love.

Make sure to follow Toni (Instagram) and Daniel on X and Instagram.